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THE RELUCTANT GOURMET

Photo: R. Ravindran

SNIFF AND TELL Seafood, made memorable by the Kadirs

I admit I approached Something Fishy with a sinking feeling.

Despite its’ cheerily beckoning purple board, which just about manages to keep afloat in the riotous sea of billboards around Gemini Flyover, the approach to the restaurant doesn’t exactly promise a great catch: an indifferent lobby, faintly depressing corridors and a lift bursting with a domineering room freshener.

But, I told myself firmly, it is — surprisingly enough — one of the few restaurants in the city that celebrates Chennai’s coastline. It’s managed to stay proudly afloat for a year with no advertising, celebrity chefs or gimmickry.

And it’s celebrating its anniversary with an unusual seafood festival, trading flamboyancy and exotica for simplicity and freshness.

Fortunately, I persevered. For, once I walked into the restaurant there was a stunning change of atmosphere. Set on a terrace cooled by natural evening breezes and artfully placed pedestal fans, the restaurant lifts your spirits. Like a holiday in Goa. Or a starlit dinner in the hippy swatches of Kerala. There’s a fat ceramic fish perched on the reservation book at the podium, the ceiling is covered with a gigantic blue fishing net and wind-chimes quietly tinkling along the terrace. Open only for dinner, it’s especially nice this time of year, when it’s cool and windy in the evenings.

For a coastal city, Chennai has an astonishing dearth of seafood speciality restaurants. The restaurants that do exist tend to play safe, using a mix of old favourites, like pomfret, beckti and crab, with a smattering of luxury, in the form of lobster and king prawns, and exotica, like expensive salmon flown in from thousands of miles away.

Chefs Andavan Kadir and Nimi, have made a fascinating circular journey from the local Hotel Management school in Taramani, through Indian five star hotels, and London where they worked with a jet-setting Sheik till they came back to enjoy ‘semi-retirement’ in Chennai, combining their global experience with local fish to create food that’s zesty, flavoursome and light.

And working as the Sheik’s personal chef for 15 years means Kadir (who handles most of the food, while Nimi sees to the customers) draws on truly colourful global experiences. “I travelled everywhere with him, by private jets and helicopters, mainly through the U.S., Europe and Ireland, where he visited stud farms... for thoroughbred horses and racing,” he says.

Then, Kadir and Nimi finally decided they wanted a quiet, more sedate life. “I was working 16 to 18 hours a day,” says Kadir, adding with a laugh, “I finally didn’t want to get into that 747, because at the other end there was more work.”

So they returned to Chennai. Looked for a location. And found a fish market. “I go to Chintadripet every morning for fresh fish,” says Kadir, talking about how Chennai receives a huge variety of fish. “There’s the parrot fish, sole, sting rays, murrels. Excellent yellow fin tuna… No one really uses all these fish,” he says, looking genuinely surprised.

Nimi talks me into trying seared squid pockets, bursting with a seafood broth; a couple of succulent grilled prawns dusted with parsley and basil; and skewers of olive, cheese and luscious fresh figs.

Sensibly designed, the festival menu offers three starters, a soup, main course and dessert for Rs. 400. Portions are small, and the presentation is faintly European café, stylish but fuss-free. The fish course, for instance, is grilled sole, just accented with lemon juice, olive oil and a touch of garlic. For more intense flavours try the excellent madras crab cakes.

There are of course hitches. The soup, a seafood broth, was unremarkable, lacking distinct flavours. And the pasta was plain boring, as was the herbed rice — both served as accompaniments to the main course.

But on the whole, whether to try the festival menu, or the regular (sprinkled with items like mussels in white wine, pan fried skate wings and seafood kebabs), the food’s definitely memorable. Especially if you end with their luxurious chocolate mousse, deliciously dark, rich and creamy.

Something Fishy, set on the terrace of Inn Chennai, 578, Anna Salai, is open from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Call 9884110113 for details or reservations.

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